Beyond orangutans: the future of forests
Orangutans and tigers may be appealing, but they are not winning the argument.
In the past, many groups working to protect forests, particularly international NGOs, have focused on the intrinsic value of forests — the value that forests have by simply existing as a home for orangutans, okapi, tigers and other creatures. This has not worked. We are on the brink of losing ⅔ of the world’s wild animals.
The commodities, products and services that make up the ‘deforestation economy’ are worth trillions of dollars. When compared to this juggernaut, the ‘charismatic fauna’ approach, focusing on a small number of flagship species, has often failed to make a compelling case for why forests should be conserved to governments, businesses and the people who live around them.
Successfully articulating the case for rainforests means we need to consider much more than biodiversity. In Indonesia’s Leuser ecosystem, one of the most biodiverse areas on the planet, local NGOs focus not on orangutans but on the crucial role of forests in regulating fresh water supply. This approach has worked elsewhere. Colombian authorities successfully reduced logging around Bogota when analysis showed the increase in flooding from deforestation would be more costly than the value of the timber sold. Building a case around ecosystem services, not particular species, demonstrably works.
Global Canopy Programme’s work in Aceh, Indonesia, has highlighted how forests can help prevent disasters and increase food security. In the Amazon, environmental services such as water filtration and cycling are provided by the forest. This is key to the sustainable development of several nations in its watershed. Projects like Unlocking Forest Finance and the Collaboration for Forests and Agriculture aim to channel finance for agriculture which can preserve these services, together supporting progress towards climate change, deforestation reduction and sustainable development goals.
Orangutans are important, but striving to protect them cannot end deforestation on its own. Environmentalists must understand local priorities and work collaboratively to communicate how critically important forests and their natural capital are for strengthening economies, security and development.
